DeLorme introduces contract-free subscription plans

DeLorme now offers a new contract-free subscription plan for its line of inReach satellite communicators.

This is the first time contract-free plans are available for a satellite communicator with GPS, according to company officials. The new Freedom Plans are designed to make it easier for more people to experience inReach, providing peace of mind for family and friends and making communication possible in remote locations.

“The launch of Freedom Plans is in response to feedback from our customers who want to use their inReach devices multiple times per year but not necessarily several months in a row. Freedom Plan subscribers can pay for inReach satellite service only when they need it on a monthly basis, making it much easier for more people to use inReach throughout the year,” said Jim Skillings, vice president of commercial products for DeLorme. “Freedom Plan subscribers can suspend their service when not in use and still retain access to their data, such as messages and tracks from previous trips.”

The company now offers four plans — safety, recreation, expedition and extreme — instead of three, for greater flexibility and convenience. It has also enhanced several of its plans with expanded options, such as unlimited preset messages for the safety plan and unlimited text messages for the expedition plan, according to company officials.

The newly-created extreme plan offers unlimited use of all the product’s features, including the ability to have two-minute tracking intervals instead of the standard 10-minute intervals.

All four plans are available in the standard annual contract or the newly-launched Freedom offerings. The Freedom plans require a minimum 30-day commitment and start at $14.95 per month for the safety service and go up to $99.95 per month.

The company’s standard, annual contract plans offer a lower monthly cost and start at $11.95 per month and go up to $79.95 per month.

In addition to sending and receiving 160-character text messages to any cell number or email address anywhere in the world, inReach provides GPS tracking and interactive SOS features, using the Iridium satellite network for 100% global coverage without any black-out zones or fringe areas.

The inReach SE is waterproof, dustproof and impact resistant to withstand harsh environments and includes a color screen, virtual keyboard, and long-lasting internal battery. inReach also pairs with mobile devices to access topographic maps from DeLorme and U.S. NOAA charts.

“Pilots often venture into places where cellular phone coverage is not available. Until now, satellite communication services have been perceived as unaffordable or over-complicated. So whether it’s an emergency or just an urgent need to communicate with those back home, we believe our new Freedom Plans will help more consumers realize that they can afford an inReach,” said Skillings.